


Experimentation

by arthur_pendragon



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: (awful tagging sorry), Banter, Early in Canon, Falling In Love, Fluff, Getting Together, Hair, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-19 19:34:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18976975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arthur_pendragon/pseuds/arthur_pendragon
Summary: Merlin doesn’t try and point it out, even though his heart shudders and stutters at the thought that despite his having been in Arthur’s employ for three months already, Arthur might neverreallysee him, that he may just be gauze for the light of Arthur’s regard.





	Experimentation

Arthur doesn’t notice right away.

Merlin doesn’t try and point it out, even though his heart shudders and stutters at the thought that despite his having been in Arthur’s employ for three months already, Arthur might never _really_ see him, that he may just be gauze for the light of Arthur’s regard.

Until the evening Arthur doesn’t notice; Merlin himself forgets about what he tried, and then Morgana shakes it all up.

“Did you do something different with your hair, Merlin?” she asks, over the weekly dinner they have in the Great Hall. Merlin can only thank the gods that Uther retired early as his hand judders and he nearly spills Arthur’s wine (“Watch it,” Arthur barks, snatching up his goblet). He waits until the heavy pitcher is safely back on the platform behind him to answer:

“No, my lady. It’s the same as ever.”

“I’m sure it isn’t,” Morgana muses, leaning over the table in search of a better view. Merlin doesn’t know whether to step closer to aid her, or to spill the truth outright. Dismay twists in and out of his ribs as he realises that he wants to run away, so Arthur can still have the chance to spot it first.

“Well, _I’m_ sure you have too much time on your hands, Morgana, if the business of mere servants appeals to you so intensely,” Arthur snaps. This makes Morgana straighten up in indignation, and with the stirrings of a fantastic argument between the prince and the king’s ward, the matter of Merlin’s hair dissolves into the candlelight like dew.

Merlin forces himself not to feel regret that Arthur didn’t care.

As they make their way back to Arthur’s rooms after dinner, he’s busy trying to memorise a list of his duties for tomorrow — Arthur’s still talking, tacking on any- and everything he can think of, perhaps still trying to get him to quit — when he is jolted out of his mental recitation by a strong hand on his shoulder. It stops him from moving forward, and, of course, belongs to Arthur.

“Merlin,” Arthur says.

“What.”

“Merlin.”

“ _What._ ”

Arthur stares at Merlin for so long that Merlin loses the feeling in his feet and starts swaying on the spot.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake —” Arthur pulls off a glove with his teeth, tosses it to the side, and ruffles Merlin’s hair deliberately. “I tried to ignore it, but it’s been vexing me to no end ever since I saw it this morning.” With his fingers he combs over the left-side parting that Merlin had carefully made in his hairstyle, and with each rough swipe, Merlin’s smile grows.

“Your hair’s already a disaster to look at, we don’t need you blinding the castle residents with your scalp,” says Arthur, still running his hand through Merlin’s hair, much slower now. Merlin doesn’t mind the words, not when with his actions Arthur’s saying something different entirely. It isn’t as if Merlin’s hair needs any more fixing, is it? And yet Arthur won’t cease his… caresses.

Hope blooms in Merlin’s chest like fire, right above his heart. Despite himself, he nuzzles the soft inside of Arthur’s wrist.

Arthur doesn’t pull away; he just stops, still touching Merlin. In the moonlight falling across his face from the oriel, Merlin sees his eyes narrow, silvered by the light, and the corners of his mouth rise steadily, almost as if in surrender.

“You might have snared me but you’re not getting out of all the chores I listed,” Arthur says.

Merlin snorts and jerks away, but returns instantly, before Arthur even has to reach out.

**Author's Note:**

> i'd love to know what you thought :)


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